Cape Malay pickled mackerel salad

Method

The day before serving, cut the mackerel into about 6 pieces.

Then flour, season and fry the fish in a thin layer of hot vegie oil, in one layer. Drain well on kitchen paper towels.

Put the white wine vinegar, ground coriander, cumin, curry powder, turmeric, sugar, bay leaf, peppercorns, allspice berries, cloves, onion and garlic in a heavy-bottomed pot. Stir and bring to the boil. Then turn the heat down and cook until the onion is just translucent, stirring now and again. Taste for sweet-sour balance and add more sugar if needed.

Place the fish on a tray, pour the pickling mixture over the top and set aside to cool, before refrigerating overnight, turning now and again.

When ready to serve, dress the salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber and radishes with a sprinkling of olive oil. Then mound the salad on individual plates and top with the mackerel.

Ingredients

500-600 gm mackerel fillets

plain flour

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

vegetable oil

125 ml white wine vinegar

1 tspn ground coriander

1 tspn ground cumin

½ tbsp mild curry powder

½ tspn turmeric

1½ tbsp caster sugar

1 bay leaf

6 whole black peppercorns

2 allspice berries

2 whole cloves

1 onion, finely sliced

2 large garlic cloves, finely sliced

a good handful or two of salad leaves

½ punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ continental (telegraph) cucumber, sliced

6 radishes, sliced

olive oil

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